Doffing mechanism



June 3. 1924. 1,496,079

E. R. ALDERMAN DOFFING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 14, 1922 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS ig f {Mad Patented June 3, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE R. ALDERMAN, 0F HOLYOKE MASSAGHUSETTS;

DOFFING MEGI-IANISMT.

Application filed December 14, 1922.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE R. ALnnRMAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dotfing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to dofling mechanism for spinning machines and the like and more particularly to improvements in dotting mechanism of the general character disc osed in l nited States Letters Patent No. 1,419,192, granted June 18, 1922. to the present applicant.

The patented dotting mechanism above referred to is especially adapted for use in connection with cap spinning machines. In said mechanism a plurality of bobbin-hold ingpockets are arranged side-by-side in a horizontal row in front of the spindles of the spinning machine. There are two bobbin holding pockets for each spindle, one of said pocket-s being normally empty and adapted to receive a full bobbin that is to be removed from the spindle, and the other pocket carrying an empty bobbin which is to be placed upon the spindle after the removal of the full bobbin therefrom. The bobbin receiving and bobbin delivering pockets are arranged alternately upon a horizontal supporting: bar which is slidablc longitudinally to bring the receiving and delivering pockets successively into positions opposite the respective spindles. The supporting bar is also movable transversely in a horizontal plane to move the series of pockets toward and from the row of spindles, and in a vertical plane to raise and lower the series of pockets. At the start of the dotting operation, the bobbin-receiving: pockets are located directly in front of the respective spindles. After the caps have been removed from the full bobbins on said spindles, the bar which supports the bobbinholding pockets is advanced laterally toward the spindles to cause the bobbin-receiving pockets to embrace the full bobbins and then said bar is raised to lift said bobbins off from their spindles. The pocket-supporting bar is next shifted longitudinally through a distance equal to the space between the pockets to move the full, bobbins into positions midway between the spindles at Serial No. 606,904.

the same time to locate a set of empty bobbins over and in alinement with the spin dles. Thereafter said bar is lowered to load the empty bobbins upon the spindles and then moved horizontally to retract the pockets from the spindles. leaving the empty bobbins on the spindles and thus completing the dofiing operation.

The above described dotting operation can be carried out successfully by the mechanism of the patent referred to in all cases where the diameter of the full bobbins is appreciably less than half the distance between the spindles, this being the condition in a large majority of spinning mills. Cer tain mills, however, employ bobbins the diameters of which, either before or after the yarn has been wound thereon. are substantially the same as or greater than half the distance between the spindles. In such cases it is obvious that two bobbin-holding pockots which are large enough to receive the large bobbins cannot be arranged side-by side within a space equal to the distance between two spindles. and consequently a series of such pockets cannot be arranged with alternate pockets opposite successive spindles.

One object of the present invention is to provide certain improvements in dotlinn' mechanisms of the type disclosed in said Patent No. lei-19,199, for the purpose of adapting: such mechanism. for use in connection with spinning! machines employimi bobbins which are too large to be operated upon by said patented dotlingx mechanism.

Another object of th invention is to provide certain improvements in doliing mechanisms tor spinning maohines'tendingr to effect substantial economy of aisle space in the mills where the machines are installed.

lVith the above and further objects in view. as will hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in the features of construction and in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

The invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing showing what is at present considered to be the preferred form of the invention and in which 2 I J I Fig 1 is a top plan View of a portlonof the improved dotting mechanism showing its relation to the spindles of a spinning machine when the dotiing mechanism is inactive.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the dotting mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2, the section being taken along the line 8-3 of said figure;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a spring detent device employed in the dotting mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are conventional plan views illustrating the movements of the bobbin holding pockets.

The drawings show only so much of a dothng mechanism as is necessary for a clear understanding of the novel features of the present invention, reference being had to the Patent No. 1,419,192, hereinbefore mentioned, for a more detailed disclosure of the construction. and mode of operation of certain parts of the mechanism, well as the cooperation therewith of the spindles of the spinning machine. Referring to the drawings of this application, the spindles of a spinning machine orthe like are indicated at 8 in Fig. 1, and the bobbin-receiving and bobbin-delivering pockets of the dotting mechanism are indicated at 10 and 12. re spectively. The pockets 10 and 12 are all of the same construction, comprising cylindrical sockets, vertically disposed to supportthe bobbins, the pockets having portions of their side and bottom walls cut away to provide the slots 14 and notches 16 for the reception of the spindles 8 whereby the pockets are adapted to be brought into positions of axial alinement with the spindles by lateral movements of the pockets. The pockets 10 and 152 are made large enough to receive bobbins which are somewhat greater in diameter than half the distance between the spindles 8.

It is obvious that the pockets 10 and 12 are too large to permit the delivering pockets to be arranged between; the receiving pockets when the latter are spaced apart the same as the spindles 8. Therefore it is impossible to perform the dotling operation by the use of receiving and delivering pockets which are disposed in alternate sideby-side relation. In order, however, that the dofling operation may be carried outwhen bobbins of the large sizes above re ferred to are employed, the present inven: tion contemplates the arrangement of the bobbin pockets in pairs, each pair consisting of a receiving pocket and a delivering pocket; and the mounting of said pairs of pockets upon separate turrets, the latter being rotatable about vertical axes arranged in a row and spaced apart the same as the spindles 8, and the receiving and delivering pockets being arranged 180 apart upon the turrets and disposed with their spindle-re ceiving slots 14 facing outward.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, a plurality of rotatable turrets 18 are provided and these turrets are mounted upon a horizontal bar :20 for rotation in the same horizontal plane. Each turret 18 supports a bobbin-receiving and a bobbin-delivering pocket 12, said pockets being arranged at diametrically opposite sides of the rotational axis of the turret and having its cut-away side outwardly disposed, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. The bar 20 is supported with provision for lateral movement both horizontally and vertically as will be hereinafter explained. With the above arrangement it will be evident that the bobbinreceiving pockets 10 are dapted to be simultaneously moved into positions of axial alineinent with the spindles 8 by a lateral movement of the supporting bar 20 in the direction of the arrow 22.

It is also evident that after the bar 20 has been moved laterally as just described, each of the turrets 18 may be brought into positions of axial alinement with the spindles 8 by rotating each of the turrets 18 through a half turn. in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, however, the turrets 18 cannot be time rotated simultaneously without interference between the bobbin-holding pockets of adjacent turrets. Accordingly the present invention further contemplates the provision of means for rotating first the alternate turrets of the series through a half revolution and subsequently rotating the remaining turrets similarly.

The turrets .18 are rigidly secured by means of screws 24 to the upper ends of vertical rocltshafts 28 which are journaled in hearings in the horizontal bar 20. The shafts 28 extend below the bar 20 to receive bevel pinions 30 the hubs of which are rigidly secured to the rockshafts and serve to retain the latter in their bearings. The pinions 30 are severally engaged by mutilated bevel pinions 32 which are fixed upon a horizontal shaft 34. The shaft 34 is iournaled in brackets .36 that support the bar 20. At one side of the mechanism a handwheel 38 is secured to the shaft 34 to enable the shaft to be conveniently turned.

he teeth extend through 180 on the bevel pinionsf'il and said pinions are so positioned radially upon the shaft 34 that the toothed portions of adjacentpinions 32 are disposed at diametrically opposite sides of the shaft 34. l Vith this constructiononly alternate pinions 30 and consequently alternate turrets 10 can be moved simultaneously by turning the shaft 34. After one set of alternate turrets such as those indicated at A; in

meshing with their respective pinions 30 to turn the turrets B through a half a turn.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the turning of the turrets in two stages as above explained. In Fig. 6 the turrets ofthe series A are being turned while the turrets of the series B, which alternate with the turrets A, remain stationary. In Fig. 7 the turrets A remain.

stationary while the turrets or the series B are being turned. It will be clear from an examination of these two figures that no interference liietween bobbin-holding pockets of adjacent turrets will result from the carrying out of this method of turning the turrets.

In order that the turrets 18 shall be retained in the positions in which they are left when the respective multilated pinions 32 are moved out of mesh with the coopcrating pinions 30, each turret carries a springpressed detent 40, (Fig. 4:). As shown, the detent 410 comprises a plunger having ashouldered portion 42 which nor mally seats against the base of a socket 44- in the turret 18 and a conical lower extremity beyond said shouldered portion 42 which extends through an aperture in the base of said socket and is adapted to engage within anotch 46 in the bar 20. The upper end of the detent plunger 40 extends through and is guided by a cap 48 which is threaded into the upper end of the socket 44. A spring: 50 is coiled around the detent ilung'er between the cap 48 and the shouldered portion 41-2 and presses the detent toward the bar 20. The notches 46 are so located in the bar 20 that the detents 4.0 will; snap into said notches when the turrets are positioned as shown in Figs. 1. and 2. The conical ends of the detents are so designed that the de'tents will readily ride out of the notches 4-6 when the turning of the shaft 34; brings the mutilated pinions 32 into mesh with the respective pinions 30.

In order that the row of turrets 18 may be moved laterally toward and from the spindles 8, the brackets '36 are mounted to slide in horizontal guideways or dovetail grooves 54 in supportii'in blocks 56 and said brackets are adapted to be shifted in unison in said guideways by means of a series of shift arms 58, that are fast upon a horizon tal rockshaft 60. As shown in Fig. 2, a pair of arms 58 are provided for each bracket 36, the arms being arranged atopposite sides of the supporting blocks 56 and having their tree ends longitudinally slotted to receive pins 62 that project from opposite sides of the brackets 36 and extend through horizontally elongated slots 64 (Fig. 3) in the supporting blocks 56. The rockshat't G0 is journaled ii the several "supporting blocks 56 and at one side of the machine has secured thereto a hand wheel 66 for use in turning the shaft. The bar 20, upon which the row of turrets I8 is mounted, is adapted to be raised and lowered by means of rack and pinion mechanism including a plurality of vertical rack bars 68 (Figs. 2 and 3) which support the blocks 56. The rack'bars 68 are adapted to be actuated'in unison by means of suitable pinions which are'mounted upon a single operating shafh the latter being provided with a suitable handwheel by which it may be turned conveniently. The pinions, shaft and hand wheel last mentioned are not shown. 'in the drawings but they may be the same in constructionand mode of operation as the corresponding mechanism of applicants hereinbeiore mentioned patent.

In 'per'forming the dofiing operation with mechanism embodying the present inven tion. the same general operations take place as described in said patent, with the exception that with the present mechanisi'n the removal or the bobbin-receiving pockets from axial alinement with the spindles and the placing of the bobbin-dcliverin r pockets in the positions initially occupied by the receiving pockets is effected by impa'rting a half rotation to the turrets '18 instead of by slidingthe entire row of bobhin-holding pockets longitudinally as in the patented mechanism. The manner in which the turrets of the present mechanism are rotated will appear with sufficient clear-- ness from the foregoing description taken in connection with the conventional illustration in 6 and 7, and reference may be had to said patent if desired, for a complete- 1inderstending;- of the other steps in the dofling operation.

lVhile in the present mechanism the row of holiihin-holdi'ng pockets is movable laterally to ard and 'lrom the spindles of the spinningmachine for the purpose of placing the bobbin-receiving pockets in axial alinement with the spindles and later for retracting the bohbin-delivering pockets from axial alinemeut with said spindles. as in said patented mechanism. the means employed in the present mechanism for effectinn such movement is an improvement of that employed for the same purpose in said patent. This improved means, which includes the arms and the rock. shaft 60, operates fully as well as the rack and pinion devices employed in the patented mechanism and possesses the important advantage of having no parts which project in front of the machine to obstruct the aisle space.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. The combination with spinning machine or the like employing bobbins having a diameter substantially the same as or greater than one-half the distance between the bobbin spindles, of dofling mechanism for said machine comprising a plurality of horizontally rotatable turrets arranged in a row with one turret located in. front of each spindle, a bobbin'receiving pocket on each turret normally positioned in front of the bobbin on the respective spindle, a bobbindelivering pocket on each turret at the opposite side of the rotational axis from the receiving pocket, means for simultaneously advancing the row of turrets to bring the receiving pockets into axial alinement with the bobbins on the spindles and for thereafter retracting the row of turrets to their initial positions. and means for rotating the turrets to reverse the positions of the re ceiving and delivering pockets before the row of turrets is retracted.

2. The combination with a spinning machine or the like employing bobbins having a. diameter substantially the same as or greater than one-half the distance between the bobbin spindles, of dofling mechanism for said machine comprising a plurality of horizontally rotatable turrets arranged in a row with one turret located in front of each spindle, a bobbin-receiving pocket on each turret normally positioned in front of the bobbin. on the respective spindle, a bobbindelivering pocket on each turret at the opposite side of the rotational axis from the receiving pocket, means for rotating alternate turrets to reverse the positions of the receiving and delivering pockets and for subsequently rotating the remainder of the turrets in the same manner, and means for advancing the row of turrets toward the spindles to locate the bobbin-receiving pockets in axial alinement with the bobbins be fore the turrets have been rotated and for retracting the row of turrets from the spindles after the turrets have been rotated.

3. The combination with a spinning machine or the like employing bobbins having a diameter substantially the same as or greater than one-half the distance between the bobbin spindles, of doifing mechanism for said machine comprising a plurality of horizontally rotatable turrets arranged in a row with one turret located in front of each spindle, a bobbin-receivingpocket on each turret normally positioned in front of the bobbin on the respective spindle, a bobbin-delivering pocket on each turret at the opposite side of the rotational axis from the receiving pocket, a rotatable shaft, connectionsbetween said shaft andsaid turrets constructed and arranged to simultaneously rotate alternate turrets to reverse the positions of the receiving and delivering pockets and for thereafter rotating the remainder of said turrets in the same manner, and means for simultaneously moving the row of turrets towards the spindles to locate the bobbin-receiving pockets in axial aliuement with. the bobbins before the turrets have been rotated and for retracting the row of turrets from the spindles after the turrets have been rotated.

4. The combination with a spinning machine or the like employing bobbins having a diameter substantially the same as or greater than one-half the distance between the bobbin spindles, of dotting mechanism for said machine comprising a plurality of horizontally rotatable turrets arranged in a row with one turret located in front of each spindle, a bobbin-receiving pocket on each turret normally positioned in front of the bobbin on the respective spindle, a bobbindelivering pocket on each turret at the opposite side of the rotational axis from the receiving pocket, a manually rotatable shaft operative connections including mutilated gears between said shaft and said turrets constructed and arranged to simultaneously rotate alternate turrets to reverse the positions of the receiving and delivering pockets and for thereafter rotating the remainder of said turrets in the same manner, means for retaining the turrets in the positions into which they are turned by said operative connections, and means for simultane ously moving the row of turrets towards the spindles to locate the bobbin-receiving pockets in. axial aline-ment with the bobbins before the turret-s have been rotated and for retracting the row of turrets from the spindles after the turrets have been rotated.

5. The combination with a spinning machine or the like employing bobbins having a diameter substantially the same as or greater than one-half the distance between the bobbin spindles, of doiiing mechanism for said machine comprising a plurality of horizontally rotatable turrets arranged in a row with one turret located in front of each spindle. a bobbin-receiving pocket on each turret normally positioned in front of the bobbin on the respective spindle, a bobbin-delivering pocket on each turret at the opposite side of the rotational axis from the receiving pocket, a carriage upon which said turrets are supported, guideways in which said carriage is mounted, a rockshaft, operative conuections between said rockshaft and said carriage for sliding the latter to advance the row of turrets to bring the receiving pockets into axial alinement with the bobbins on the spindles and for thereafter retracting the row of turrets to their initial positions, and

means on said carriage for rotating the turrets to reverse the positions of the receiving and delivering pockets before the row of turrets is retracted.

6. The combination with a spinning machine or the like employing bobbins having a diameter substantially the same as or greater than one-half the distance between the bobbin spindles, of dotting mechanism tor said machine comprising a plurality of horizontally rotatable turrets arranged in a row with one turret located in front oi each spindle, a bobbin-receiving ocket on each turret normally positioned in front of the bobbin on the respective spindle, a bobbindelivering pocket on each turret at the opposite side of the rotational axis from the receiving pocket, a carriage upon which said turrets are supported, guideways in which said carriage mounted, a manually operable rock shaft beneath said carriage arms fixed on said rockshaft, pin and slot connections between said arms and said carriage whereby the latter may be shifted in said guideways by actuation of said rockshai t, and means on said carriage for turning said turrets to reverse the positions of the bobbinreceiving and bobbin-delivering pockets. '7. The combination with a spinning machine or the like, of dotiing mechanism therefor comprising a plurality of bobbin-receiving pockets arranged in a row parallel to the row of spindles in the spinning machine, a plurality of bobbin-delivering pockets arranged in a row behind said receiving pock ets, means for simultaneously moving said rows 0t pockets toward said spindles to bring the receiving pockets into axial aline- .ment with said spindles and for simultaneously retracting said pockets from said spindles, and means for reversing the positions of said receiving and said delivering pockets after the receiving pockets have been axially alined with the spindles.

8, The combination with a spinning machine or the like, of dotting mechanism therefor comprising a plurality of bobbin-receiving pockets arranged in a row parallel to the row of spindles in the spinning machine, a plurality of bobbin-delivering pockets arranged in a row behind and parallel to said receiving pockets, the delivering pockets being severally arranged opposite the receiving pockets, rotatable parts for each 0pposed pair of receiving and delivering pockets, means for simultaneously moving said rows of pockets toward said spindles to bring the receiving pockets in axial aline ment with said spindles and for simultaneously retracting said pockets from said spindles and means for turning said rotatable parts to reverse the positions of said receiving and said delivering pockets after the receiving pockets have been axially alined with the spindles.

9. The combination with a spinning machine or the like employing bobbins having a diameter substantially the same as or greater than one-half the distance between the bobbin spindles, ot' doiiing mechanism for said machine comprising a plurality of bobbinreceiving pockets arranged in a row parallel to the row of spindles in the spinning machine, a bobbin-delivering pocket adjacent each receiving pocket, means for simultaneously advancing said pockets toward the row of spindles to bring the receiving pockets into axial alinement with said spindles and for subsequently retracting both the receiving and delivering pockets simultaneously from said row of spindles, and means adapted to be operated before said retraction for shifting said receiving pockets out of axial alinement with the spindles and for shifting said delivering pockets into axial alinement with the spindles.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature,

EUGENE R, ALDERMAN, 

